Diego Sanchez Details Pre-Fight Anke Injury: “I Wasn’t Pulling Out”

Following a three round war against Jake Ellenberger on his opponent’s home soil that saw him come back to almost clinch victory int he final frame, Diego Sanchez revealed that he had suffered a severe injury to his ankle some weeks before the fight (to the heavy boos of a pro-Ellenberger crowd).

Speaking with Ariel Helwani (via FuelTV) following the fight, Sanchez elaborated on the nature of the injury and expressed his wish that the fight would have been a five rounder considering his late surge against The Juggernaut.

“It was a great challenge and a great effort,” Sanchez said of the fight. “I had a lot of obstacles to overcome coming into this fight. I really severely sprained my ankle three weeks before the fight. I had pulled out of the Matt Hughes fight with a broken hand. I got a family to take care of; I wasn’t pulling out of the fight.

“I did what I could do,” he explained. “I iced it, I elevated it, I taped it, I trained as much as I could. I came into the fight and I went to battle. I wish the fight would have been five rounds. I think I had some momentum if it would’ve been going into a fourth. It is what it is. I went for the stoppage, I should’ve gone for the choke.”

Sanchez ultimately lost a unanimous decision to Ellenberger and now heads back to the drawing board. You can check out Sanchez’s full interview with Helwani below and click here for full results from the event.